Review: Long For Me by Stacey Lynn (Luminous 3)

Title: Long For Me

          (Luminous 3)

Author: Stacey Lynn

Release Date: September 4, 2017

Publisher: Carina Press

Category: Erotic Contemporary Romance

Type: Digital

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Stacey Lynn Website

Blurb:

My boss already controls my days; do I want to give him my nights, as well?  

Rebecca 

I've seen what happens when you give everything to a man. That's not what I want. I won't have my heart crushed in anyone's fist.

Then he changed everything.

Him. Bennett Ashby. My boss.

Seeing him at Luminous, dressed in leather pants and wielding a whip…

Do I crave this?

My mind says no, but my body is starting to have very different ideas.
  

Bennett 

I knew Rebecca Morales would be the perfect assistant. That's why I hired her.

I didn't know that working with her every day would lead to temptation—to own her, to possess her.

When she walked into Luminous, I knew I was screwed. Dipping your pen in the company ink is never smart, but we both agreed what happens at the club stays there.

One night and then it's back to business tomorrow.

Except I don't want just one night with Rebecca. I want them all.

Favorite Line:

I had to murder him. It was the only way possible I was ever going to forget the other night. ~ Rebecca

Dialogue Highlight:

“Has anyone ever thought to teach you manners, Rebecca?”

“Tried. It never took.”

“Perhaps we should put that in your employee goals for the new year, then.” He pushed off the door and stepped out of my office.

Excerpt: (from ARC - content could change)

By reading any further, you are stating that you are at least 18 years of age.

If you are under the age of 18, please exit this site.

I stayed there. Watching. Hating it. But damn if I couldn’t stop watching Bennett.

He was rude to me. Bossy. Now it all made sense. But he wasn’t kind like Shawn. I couldn’t imagine Bennett snowplowing a neighbor’s driveway unless he got something from it. Shawn laughed and joked and teased and was playful. He was nothing like the Bennett I knew from the office.

Not that’d I’d known this side of him, either. And Jesus. His arms. If arm porn magazines were a thing he could be on the cover. His biceps bulged every time he bent his arm. The slap of leather on flesh echoed in my ears.

He dropped the crop to his side and walked toward the woman. As he reached her, he bent down, pushing hair off her face and behind her ear. He whispered something and she nodded in response. They continued speaking in murmured tones I couldn’t hear but never, not once, had I ever seen Bennett’s gaze go so soft when he spoke as he was in that moment.

He was unmitigated power and control and bossy asshole in the office, but on that stage, he was none of it except controlled. He smiled at the woman, whispered some more and when she nodded again, he ran his thumb down her cheek. He turned his back to the crowd and grabbed a bottle of water. Untwisting it, he held it out for the woman. Bound, she couldn’t hold it on her own but she tilted her head back. In a move so tender I didn’t think he had it in him, he cupped her jaw, held her still while he pressed the bottle of water to her lips.

The serene expression in her eyes and the tender gestures from him stalled my beating heart inside my chest and I couldn’t think. Couldn’t move away. He’d never shown me an ounce of compassion in the two months I’d been working for him. He was behaving completely the opposite of how I’d known him.

It made me lean forward, desperate for a small hint of that kindness directed at me, and I hadn’t even been aware I needed it, wanted it so desperately from him, until it was being poured out onto someone else.

His girlfriend? The thought tasted like sludge deep in my throat. Of course it was. Had to be. No way was a man like Bennett Ashby single. And was that jealousy I was tasting? How absurd. I didn’t have a crush on my egomaniac boss.

I just wanted to be treated kindly. That was all.

He turned and scanned the crowd behind him.

I didn’t move quick enough. There was nowhere to hide.

His gaze landed on me and all that warmth sparked like an inferno as he stared at me. He showed no expression and we stood there, me heating and trembling and holy shit why hadn’t I run yet? Bennett’s softness from talking to the woman evaporated. Cold. Domineering. Eyes glued on me, he walked back to the woman and spoke to her again.

But his eyes were still on me, his gaze unwavering and I was too frozen stupid to move. I couldn’t break his spell. I’d just watched him whip a woman and I no longer wanted to puke.

I wanted that soft gaze I’d seen him give her.

And I wanted it on me.

Yeah, my sparkling water had definitely been drugged with crazy sauce.

Review:

Rebecca Morales is sure about a lot of things in her life. She’s sure she’ll never get swindled by a man. She’s sure she’ll never be abused by a man. She’s sure she will be successful and maker own way in life – and so far has. She’s pretty sure she wants a softer guy in her life – despite the obvious lack of chemistry with anyone so far. And she is absolutely unsure about the life at Luminous. Her best friend and neighbor has a marriage which thrives around a BDSM lifestyle. Rebecca sees is as a form of abuse. She even tried to convince her friend to run away when she accidentally stumbled into their playroom at home. But try as she might, she has never seen an ounce of abuse from her friend’s husband. After years of trying, and answering thousands of her questions, Miranda finally convinces Rebecca to take a peek into the lifestyle they embrace. She is repulsed … and maybe a little fearful. But hell, it’s New Years and she’s down for some new resolutions. Don’t judge until you know the facts. When she stumbles onto a scene starring her sinfully sensuous boss, she’s rocked completely off balance. He sees tendencies she never thought he was capable of. Tenderness for one. She’s seen nothing but anger and rudeness from him. She has no idea that it is all a façade with Bennett trying to disguise the raging lust she inspires in him. But preconceived notions and a violent past are difficult to escape when venturing tentatively into a world of BDSM which she doesn’t fully grasp or understand. And her own insecurities might be stronger enough to end what delicate relationship she has with Bennett.

Bennett Ashby is floored when he sees Rebecca at the club. A million questions and no answers. She’s been the object of his desire for years. Is only outlet, to bark orders and cover his lust with rudeness.  Now that he’s seen her there and her blatant reaction to his show, he’s going to make damn sure he finds a way to seduce Rebecca into his world – at least for one night. That is all it should take to purge her from his system, right? Wrong! Before long, he is devising any scheme he can to keep her with him as his Sub for as long as he can. Except forever might not be long enough. convincing her of his sincerity is going to be the biggest challenge of his life and her tumultuous past might be something he can’t break though. But he’ll damned sure try.

First, if you do not care for explicit sex scenes or scenes involving BDSM – fair warning – do not read this book. However, if you like it rather spicy and books that titillate are your thing, then my friend, you have come to the right place. At first, as I read, I was intrigued. For me, it’s almost the forbidden, and reading about it is quite extraordinary. I didn’t realize the book would be a full-length novel, or that the characters would have depth. Many times when I read stories like these, it’s pretty basic. Maybe I just haven’t read the right books. But I am pleased to say that I enjoyed my time with this book. I was further pleased to discover that this book is the 3^rd in the series and I never knew until afterward. Great for myself and any other reader who is unaware, that as a stand-alone, this book does not have to be read in sequence. Probably my only complaint is that at times Rebecca seemed a contradiction. I suppose that could go hand in hand with the fact that she is basically jumping into a lifestyle that wars with the convictions that make her who she is. Not that the relationship wasn’t bumpy, but I almost felt like she acquiesced a bit to easily. Bennett was true to who I would believe an Alpha male – Dominate would be in all his splendid, masculine glory. I enjoyed the other couples we were introduced to, whom I would assume are part of the first two books in the series, but felt a better connection to Miranda and Shawn – likely because they play a bigger role. I wouldn’t mind reading their stories to be able to get to know them better. That would likely be the advantage to reading the books in order; knowing the secondary characters on a more personal level, and so enjoying their “cameos” more. I am no expert by any means, but Ms. Lynn wrote in a way that made me believe she possesses some knowledge within this world – or at least did a bit of homework prior to writing the book. All in all, I would recommend this read for anyone who likes explicit HEAs – particularly those with the strong male presence and a female nearly his match, but with inner torment that only a beast can soothe … even if it takes a bit of necessary roughness. 😉

Kindle version provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.